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Tag: Rotimi Amaechi

  • FG to Launch Maritime Security Project in June – Amaechi

    FG to Launch Maritime Security Project in June – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Monday disclosed that the maritime security project will be launched in Lagos by President Muhammadu Buhari come next month.

    This is even as he explained that 75 per cent of crime comes from the country’s water, adding that if the country is able to eliminate it then it will be making a lot of progress.

    The minister made this known when the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Daniel Bertrand, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

    Amaechi, in a statement made available to journalists by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Mr. Eric Ejiekwe, noted that the crisis in the maritime sector is more complex than the world knows but the federal government has come up with a solution and it is ready to take off.

    According to him, “The Navy, Police, Army and State Security Service are involved.

    “If it is successful in the near future, there will be improvement in the maritime security. Then other countries in the Gulf of Guinea can adopt it because 75 per cent or 65 per cent of crime comes from our water and if we are able to eliminate it, then we will be making a lot of progress.

    “If you are in the air, you see what is happening in the water, you are inside the water, you will be able to respond, the helicopter has the capacity to drop in the naval men when they see anything suspicious.”

    Speaking further, he stated that he will be glad to partner and share information with anyone for the purpose of securing the Gulf of Guinea.

    Earlier, the Belgian Ambassador, Mr. Bertrand, officially presented a letter to the minister requesting the support of the Nigerian government for its country’s candidate for a position at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

    Bertrand also mentioned that they have observed with keen interest what is happening in the Gulf of Guinea and would like to be of assistance in the implementation of maritime security in the region.

  • I made Amaechi Governor of Rivers – Gov Wike Brags

    I made Amaechi Governor of Rivers – Gov Wike Brags

    Governor Nyesom Wike has claimed that his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi became Governor of Rivers state through his help.

    Wike who served as Chief of Staff during Amaechi’s tenure, made the disclosure during an interview with BBC pidgin on Friday March 19.

    The Rivers state Governor stated in the interview that he wonders how someone he made Governor will turn around to call him an employee.

    He said;

    “Amaechi and I were in the same party, and in politics, everybody has his own ambition. He had his ambition to be governor, and at the time, I didn’t. So, we fought and supported him to be governor.

    “Now he’s in APC, and you don’t expect me as a PDP person to support what he does.

    “I was the one God used to make Amaechi governor. I will even give you a tape from what he said in the church; that after God, I’m next. But when he was talking the other day, saying I was his staff, his employee, I said no problem.

    “We all sat to make you governor, and I was the one who championed it. How do you call someone who made you governor an employee? When he became governor, he asked me; how are we going to run this government, and he offered me to be commissioner of finance, but I said no, let me be in the chief of staff office.

    “That time I made him governor, I had power to choose. People know in this state.

    “With his APC, did they even score 25 percent here during the 2015 and 2019 elections? His staff stopped him from winning Rivers for his presidential candidate? Stopped him from winning the governorship election for his candidate? Not even a senatorial seat?

    “Well, we have passed that. He said over his dead body will I be governor, now I am looking for that dead body. I have been governor for eight years now. In 2015 when I won, they said PDP was in power, but I also won again in 2019 when APC was in power.”

    Wike also accused his predecessor of mismanaging the state funds when he was governor. He reiterated that Ameachi allegedly sold the state’s gas turbine for $308,000 and left his government with $208,000.

    The Governor said;

    “See the monorail, just 1.5 kilometre, they said they spent N54 billion. I am not saying anybody is corrupt, but just see all these monies we have mentioned.”

  • Injured Rotimi Amaechi walks with crutches

    Injured Rotimi Amaechi walks with crutches

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has suffered a hairline fracture it was gathered at the weekend.

    Amaechi was seen in a viral photo walking with the aid of crutches during the commissioning of an orphanage home and Arabic School in Kaita Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    Though the circumstances that led to the fracture remained sketchy, a hairline fracture, according to doctors, is a tiny crack in a bone caused by repetitive stress or force often from overuse and mostly caused by repeatedly jumping up and down or running long distances.

    Amaechi’s close associate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze confirmed the development.

    He observed that some Nigerians, who gloated over the photos, concluded the Minister might be suffering from an ankle sprain while others said that he might be having either plantar fascitis, hemiplegia scissors gait or motor neuron lesion.

    But Eze said the former Rivers Governor neither had hemiplegia scissors gait nor planter fasciitis, adding that Amaechi was also not suffering from knee arthritis or lower motor neuron lesion.

    The party chief said he was, however, prompted by public concern to engage the minister, who said he had a hairline fracture but assured he was getting better.

    Injured Rotimi Amaechi walks with crutches (photos)

    He quoted Amaechi as saying: “I had a hairline fracture on 31st December, 2020 but I have been working with it all these weeks before the public pictures showing me with crutches. Nobody should express any fear as my doctors are on top of it”.

    Eze said Amaechi by walking and working in pains and crutches demonstrated his patriotic zeal and commitment in contributing towards rebuilding the country.

    Injured Rotimi Amaechi walks with crutches (photos)

    He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct Amaechi to rest a little while and allow for a quick recovery from the painful fracture.

    He said Amaechi with his level of patriotism was ready to risk his life in the service of the nation.

    While asking Nigerians to continue to remember the Minister in their prayers, Eze condemned persons celebrating Amaechi’s condition, describing them as satanic.

  • COVID-19: 60 Lagos-Ibadan railway workers test positive

    COVID-19: 60 Lagos-Ibadan railway workers test positive

    Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said that 60 Lagos-Ibadan railway project workers have contracted the dreaded coronavirus disease.

    The Minister, who made this known during an interview with newsmen, said the railway project would have been inaugurated in the first week of January if not for the upsurge in the second wave.

    According to him, it was important to reschedule the proposed January 2021 inauguration date even though no life has been lost.

    “First let us admit that over 60 of our staff, not Ministry of Transportation staff, but the staff working on the rail project, have been infected by the virus.

    “Luckily nobody has died and I pray nobody will die, but you see the kind of sacrifice everybody is making to get the rail to function.

    “As far as we are concerned, we need to learn how to live with this infection and try as much as possible to keep ourselves protected,” he said.

    Speaking on when the inauguration of the project would take place, Amaechi said that the inauguration will hold only when there is a reduction in new cases recorded in the country.

    “We were to inaugurate the railway project in the first week of January but had to stop those doing minor completion work because of the rise in coronavirus transmission.

    “The timeline for inauguration will depend on when the virus is being curbed,” he added.

  • FG to deploy 200 security officers to Tin Can, Apapa Ports to prevent gridlock

    FG to deploy 200 security officers to Tin Can, Apapa Ports to prevent gridlock

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said that 200 security officers would be deployed to Apapa and Tin-Can Ports to clear the gridlock on the route and enforce compliance on truck not to park on the road.

    Mrs Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, Media Assistant to the minister, said Amaechi disclosed this during a meeting with Maritime Stakeholders and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in Lagos.

    The union had threatened to go on strike if government failed to address the gridlock on the route.

    He, however, said that there should be a Steering Committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Magdalene Ajani, to seat monthly until the challenges are overcome.

    Other members of the committee would be from the Nigerian Ports Authourity, Nigerian Shippers Council, MWUN, Road Safety and Lagos State government.

    READ ALSO: FG reveals biggest challenge of COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Nigeria

    Amaechi directed the committee to write to the Inspector General of Police for more Officers for the assignment.

    “The issue of traffic on these routes is because in Nigeria we don’t discipline people. People do whatever they like even when it’s wrong because there is no consequence for our actions. We need security officers to enforce compliance on truck blocking the road.

    “100 men at Tin Can and Apapa to be stationed their everyday because Nigerians don’t obey until there are consequences for actions. NPA, Shippers Council must have a level of funding to resolve this challenges.

    “We need to talk to Shippers and Traders especially those around Warri, to see how they can be using Warri port, so that Lagos Ports will be decongested, we can get security to follow the cargoes to that area, so that traders from Aba, Onitsha that are ready to use that Port can go there.”

    Speaking, the Deputy Secretary General of MWUN, Abudu Eroje, said that the union wanted to go on strike because of the hardship workers faced everyday trying to go to work because of the gridlock.

    He said that the union is now part of the Implementation Committee which took a decision that letters will be sent out to all relevant stakeholders giving an ultimatum when all trucks must leave the road back to their various parks.

    Eroje said that a Manuel call-up system would commence before the electronic system to enable all access road to Tin Can by Mile 2 be cleared.

    He said that before the date of ultimatum expires, all truck owners, relevant stakeholders would be sensitized before enforcement.

  • It’s too early to consider South-East for 2023 presidency – Rotimi Amaechi

    It’s too early to consider South-East for 2023 presidency – Rotimi Amaechi

    Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said that considering a candidate from the South-East for the 2023 election is a bit too early.

    Amaechi made this known during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday.

    He, however, backed Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola’s comment of having respect for zoning by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    ”I believe that the zoning which was done in the north and south should be respected, just like Fashola said.
    “The best conversation to have now is how to deliver on the railway, maritime as it pertains to the responsibility assigned to me by the president.

    “Why not allow me to complete the responsibility that has been given to me by the president which is being the minister of transportation,” he said.

  • Restructuring is not as critical as hunger and poverty – Amaechi

    Restructuring is not as critical as hunger and poverty – Amaechi

    Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has reacted to the calls for restructuring which was recently reignited by the Governors in the South-South region he comes from.

    The former Governor of Rivers state who spoke in an interview on Channels Television stated that while the calls for restructuring of the country may not be bad, however tackling hunger and poverty is more critical to the federal government.

    Amaechi said;

    “If to you what is important is restructuring, I don’t see anything wrong with restructuring but I am saying it is not the most critical problem we have.

    “The most critical problem we have is that hunger and poverty are breeding insecurity.

    “If you are able to create employment, you create security. If you like hire as many men as you want to hire that are policemen, you would do nothing until you put food in the hands of people.

    “When you do not create a legitimate economy, the people will create for themselves an illegitimate economy and be able to feed themselves.”

    Admitting that many farmers are unable to go to their farms in some parts of the country, the APC chieftain said Nigeria is facing a kind of insecurity unlike what was obtainable in the past.

    Amaechi added;

    “We are facing a different kind of insecurity.

    “When we were in power as governors, the problem we were facing was Boko Haram. Not is it much more than Boko Haram. We need to address those issues.”

  • Deep Blue Project equipment will be ready by March 2021, says Amaechi

    Deep Blue Project equipment will be ready by March 2021, says Amaechi

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said that all equipment needed for the Deep Blue Project would be ready by March 2021.

    Amaechi said this on Friday while inspecting the equipment purchased for the Deep Blue Project at Naval Base Ojo in Lagos.

    The Deep Blue Project is a NIMASA initiative aimed at the prevention of illegal activities in the Maritime domain.

    He said that most of the equipment needed are on ground except for Aircraft and helicopters.

    “Only the helicopter and plane is not ready but the rest are on ground, training has started. Hopefully, before March 2021 everything should be concluded.

    “We will look at the project to see what is outstanding, what has been supplied then we seek professional advice.

    “Now that we are almost at the point of making progress, to finding solution, we need to be patient. The project was tried under Obasanjo, it didn’t work, don’t forget that they tried it under President Goodluck Jonathan. Here you have gentlemen who are trying to make it work, just be patient and give us more time.

    “We expect all equipment to arrive by March and we expect that training should be able to end before March.”

    The Minister alongside the Minister of Defence, Retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, went on an assessment visit to see the equipment on ground at Ojo.

    The equipment includes Antennas for Special Mission Vessel, Drones, Weapon site, CPR kit, C4i Centre, Special Mission vessels, Satellite Communication Centre, among others.

    Twenty four Airforce officers are presently in Portugal for a 7-week training, about 88 officers would be trained before March 2021.

  • Amaechi meets Niger Ambassador over Maradi rail line

    Amaechi meets Niger Ambassador over Maradi rail line

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday met the Ambassador of Niger to Nigeria, Alat Mogaskia, over the modalities of the newly approved Kano-Maradi rail line.

    The federal government on Sept. 23 approved a contract for the development of the proposed Kano-Katsina-Jibia to Maradi rail line in the Niger Republic and Dutse, capital of Jigawa, at the cost of $1.96 billion U.S. dollars.

    At the meeting, Amaechi said that there was a need for both countries to meet over the infrastructure the Nigerian government hoped to construct in Maradi.

    “We are trying to build a rail up to Maradi, we want to meet the State Governor over the infrastructure where it would be located because we plan to construct rail stations and a warehouse.

    “Since the contract was awarded, this is the first meeting we are having to see what we really need to do to get the rail into Maradi, I plan to do a letter by Monday to the Minister of Transport in Niger to help us seek approval from the State governor or federal government to enable us to construct the rail to Maradi.”

    Mogaskia said that the Niger Republic gives it support on the development because it would open up the economy between both countries, stating that it’s not too late to inform the Niger government about the project.

     “We are really behind the development, the matter is not too late for the Nigerian government to intimate the Niger government about the project. The most important person in the parliament is from Maradi and he welcomes this idea.

    “On leaving this place now, we will immediately contact all the relevant bodies in Niger, they will all be sensitised about the project.

    “Whatever presentation we are making today will get a good reception for a quick response, so that the project can go ahead. ”

    He however said that the Niger government would give it support for the project to come into realisation.